Thank You
by PoeticDream
Summary: [MR Friendship] [Three Shot] Mark recieves a thank you note from Roger in three completely different situations.


Disclaimer: Mark, Roger, and RENT in general belong to Jonathan Larson --- of who I am not. I'm not making any money from this.

**------x------**

Mark had gotten up early again. Roger liked to tease him about it. ("God doesn't even get up as early as you, man!") But there was just something about filming New York City before the streets were crowded. He would often ride his bike over into Times Square in the early morning just so that every shot wouldn't be filled with tourists wearing the tacky overrated "I heart New York" shirts.

Mark and Roger had a routine. Mark would get up, go out and film till noon. Then, if Roger wasn't up by the time he returned to the loft (and let's just be honest here: 98 percent of the time, he wasn't.) then he would wake his roommate, watch him take his AZT, and then go lock himself in seclusion to edit his latest footage while Roger usually headed out to practice with his band... if he decided he was in a band that week.

So Mark was very surprised when he walked in to Roger's room, only to see nothing but a thin blanket on the mattress that he called his bed. But the surprise quickly turned to worry.

Mark had always just taken for granted that Roger would be there when he came home. Now that he wasn't, what was Mark supposed to do? He and Roger never really discussed these kinds of things, so Roger could literally be anywhere, with anyone. That thought alone really panicked Mark. It's not that he was _trying _to be like Roger's mother or anything – he just knew from experience what Roger used to get up.

He had started to pace the house – not unlike what he did during Roger's days of using. He was on his third lap around what would be considered the living room before he saw it.

There was a note, sitting on the floor next to the couch. Mark realized it must have fallen off when he'd thrown his camera and jacket down. He scrambled to pick it up.

This wasn't Roger's usual method of communicating with Mark that he was out. Mostly because, well, Mark was usually home when it happened! But the filmmaker quickly realized that this note wasn't so much a 'note' as it was a…card!

Printed on the front, in Roger's awful nearly illegible handwriting was simply 'Thank You' in black marker. Mark opened the card, confused, but barely held back a gasp at what he saw on the inside.

On the left side, there was a drawing taped to it – But it wasn't just a drawing. It was a drawing of a picture that Mark recognized immediately. He remembered it being taken at the Life Café only a few weeks ago. It was just him and Roger, right before they left. Taken just because they could. But the drawing he was staring at was _amazing_. It was a black and white sketch. Mark had lived with Roger for over 8 years, but never knew the rocker to have any artistic skills. He'd always assumed his notebooks were just full of unwritten songs.

But it was what was written on the opposite side that really got Mark's attention.

_Mark,_

_-For showing me that my disease wasn't the death sentence I thought it was_

_-For never leaving me…no matter how much I threatened, cursed, and hurt you_

_-For always listening to my bitching_

_-For being YOU and coming at me with a camera when no one else would come within 50 feet of me_

_Love,_

_Roger_

Mark could only stare at the words in the card. He always knew Roger was grateful to have him around – even if it was never vocalized. But even he hadn't expected this kind of gratitude.

He was still standing there ten minutes later when he heard the loft door start to slide open, so he quickly and gently slid the card into the inside pocket of his coat.

"Hey Mark," said the returning ex-rock star "how's the film editing going?"

"Oh, haven't started yet today." Said Mark, glancing over at his equipment still on the couch. "Just got back in. Nice to see you up before noon though!" He couldn't resist throwing that in his roommates face.

So, naturally as a response, Roger threw a pillow at him.

Mark told Roger to take his AZT, and then gathered up his camera and retreated to his bedroom.

All was back to normal in the loft, with Mark now having a whole new subject for his latest project.

**------x------**

**A/N: **Story #1/3. I should note that the three stories will not build on each other and can all be read separately. The only thing they'll have in common is the Thank You note – hence the title of the story ;) Heheh.

Want to see the note that Roger penned for Mark – picture and all? Look at my profile and find the links under 'Stories in Progress' )


End file.
